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Laura's last Christmas

Laura Thomlinson passed away at home on Thursday, two days after celebrating Christmas with her family.

Mrs Thomlinson, born in October 1911 to a farming family in Bewcastle, spent most of her life in the Longtown area after marrying Jacob Thomlinson in 1939.

The couple had two daughters, Lorena and Hazel, who were brought up in the family home in Longtown, where Jacob was a livestock auctioneer at the Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart.

Hazel, 67, a retired nurse, lived with Mrs Thomlinson for the last 11 years of her life in Longlands Road, Stanwix, where she died.

She said: “Mum died peacefully at home. She had celebrated Christmas two days earlier and opened her presents wearing a Christmas top.”

Hazel said her mother was a great charity worker who raised funds for Dr Barnado’s and the NSPCC.

She added: “She also supported Arthuret Church at Longtown. One of her activities was organising the Halloween ball at the end of October every year. She thoroughly enjoyed doing this for 17 years to raise funds for charity.”

Mrs Thomlinson was one of five children born to the Dodd family in Bewcastle. As a child she boarded at the former Brunswick House School in Brunswick, Square, Carlisle. From Bewcastle the family moved to Geltsdale near Brampton where they farmed for more than 20 years.

“Mum grew up and married my dad from there when she was 28. They met at a farm sale at Wintershield between Walton and Bewcastle,” Hazel said.

“He always said that when he spotted her he knew she was the girl for him. They married at St Peter’s Church in Castle Carrock in 1939 and had a short honeymoon in Edinburgh before settling in Longtown.”

After her husband died in 1981 Mrs Thomlinson moved to Moffat to be near Lorena, who farmed at Beattock. Hazel was nursing in Edinburgh.

Mrs Thomlinson is also survived by her two grandchildren.

All are welcome to attend the funeral at Arthuret Church on Monday at noon.